Bashing

"A hero to the world but shunned in her own country."

2006 1h 22m JA

😐

6.2

MID

★6.2TMDB · 12

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Yuko is a Japanese girl who was taken hostage in Iraq while volunteering there as an aid worker. Finally released and back in her hometown, Yuko finds herself ostracized as a national disgrace by society that sees her helping a country other than Japan, and the embarrassment of getting captured but not killed, as things of which to be brutally ashamed.

“A hero to the world but shunned in her own country.”

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Cast

Fusako Urabe
Yuko
Ryuzo Tanaka
Father
Nene Otsuka
Stepmother
Kikujiro Honda
Boss
Teruyuki Kagawa
Hotel Manager
Takayuki Katô
Koibito

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Masahiro Kobayashi
Writers: Masahiro Kobayashi
Languages: Japanese
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

82 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 20 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Masahiro Kobayashi, shot by Kōichi Saitō. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Masahiro Kobayashi. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Naoki Kaneko shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Fusako Urabe and Ryuzo Tanaka and Nene Otsuka carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A hero to the world but shunned in her own country.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Masahiro Kobayashi directs. Kōichi Saitō behind the camera. Masahiro Kobayashi scores. Naoki Kaneko cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

182 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Released 20 years ago.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Masahiro Kobayashi, shot by Kōichi Saitō. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Masahiro Kobayashi. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Naoki Kaneko shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Fusako Urabe and Ryuzo Tanaka and Nene Otsuka carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "A hero to the world but shunned in her own country.".
9IMDB entry: tt0456836 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 12 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.